I am finally proceeding with installing my rear brakes after waylaid by other projects - car has been up in the air two weeks.

I did one wheel, and then moved to the second. I had trouble right away pulling the 2nd rotor off. Unfortunately, it jammed up before I thought to align the holes for the star wheel. I saw little choice but to work it off the shoes (now I'm thinking I could have loosened the cable up front).

The faces of the shoes are not parallel with the rotor off. They taper inward at the outside edges (nearest me). If I press on the edge, the left shoe tilts to where it belongs. It doesn't look right to me, and I think the first side wasn't like this. Do these clips hold the shoes in place so they don't tilt? I have new ones the indy gave me, but I don't see how to get it disassembled to install them.

I see a small spring above the star assembly, and a thicker one on the bottom. Under the thick spring there is a (possibly) hinged metal piece.

Any thoughts on whether I possibly bent something working the rotor off? Tips on disassembly? I don't want to put it back together without advice, and find the shoes are scraping because they aren't straight.

Thanks, Don